Revelation 7

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:1

And after these things - After the vision of the things referred to in the opening of the sixth seal. The natural interpretation would be, that what is here said of the angels and the winds occurred after those things which are described in the previous chapter. The exact chronology may not be always observed in these symbolical representations, but doubtless there is a general order which is observed.I saw four angels - He does not describe their forms, but merely mentions their agency. This... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:2

And I saw another angel - Evidently having no connection with the four, and employed for another purpose. This angel, also, must have been symbolic; and all that is implied is, that something would be done as if an angel had done it.Ascending from the east - He appeared in the east, and seemed to rise like the sun. It is not easy to determine what is the special significancy, if any, of the east here, or why this quarter of the heavens is designated rather than the north, the south, or the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:3

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea ... - Let the winds be restrained until what is here designated shall be done. These destroying angels were commanded to suspend the work of destruction until the servants of God could be rendered secure. The division here, as in Revelation 7:1, of the “earth, the sea, and the trees,” seems to include everything - water, land, and the productions of the earth. Nothing was to be injured until the angel should designate the true servants of God.Till we... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:4

And I heard the number of them which were sealed - He does not say where he heard that, or by whom it was communicated to him, or when it was done. The material point is, that he heard it; he did not see it done. Either by the angel, or by some direct communication from God, he was told of the number that would be sealed, and of the distribution of the whole number into twelve equal parts, represented by the tribes of the children of Israel.And there were sealed an hundred and forty and four... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:5-8

Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand - That is, a selection was made, or a number sealed, as if it had been made from one of the tribes of the children of Israel - the tribe of Judah. If the remarks above made are correct, this refers to the Christian church, and means, in connection with what follows, that each portion of the church would furnish a definite part of the whole number sealed and saved. We are not required to understand this of the exact number of twelve thousand, but... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:9

After this - Greek,” After these things” - Μετὰ ταῦτα Meta tauta: that is, after I saw these things thus represented I had another vision. This would undoubtedly imply, not only that he saw these things after he had seen the sealing of the hundred and forty-four thousand, but that they would occur subsequently to that. But he does not state whether they would immediately occur, or whether other things might not intervene. As a matter of fact, the vision seems to be transferred from earth to... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:10

And cried with a loud voice - Compare Zechariah 4:7. This is expressive of the greatness of their joy; the ardor and earnestness of their praise.Salvation to our God - The word rendered “salvation” - σωτηρία sōtēria - means properly “safety, deliverance, preservation”; then welfare or prosperity; then victory; then, in a Christian sense, deliverance from punishment and admission to eternal life. Here the idea seems to be that their deliverance from sin, danger, persecution, and death, was to... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:11

And all the angels stood round about the throne - notes on Revelation 5:11.And about the elders - notes on Revelation 4:4.And the four beasts - notes on Revelation 4:6. The meaning is, that the angels stood in the outer circle, or outside of the elders and the four living creatures. The redeemed, it is manifest, occupied the inner circle, and were near the throne, though their precise location is not mentioned. The angels sympathize with the church redeemed and triumphant, as they did with the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:12

Saying, Amen - See the notes on Revelation 1:7. The word “Amen” here is a word strongly affirming the truth of what is said, or expressing hearty assent to it. It may be uttered, as expressing this, either in the beginning or end of a sentence. Thus, wills are commonly commenced, “In the name of God, Amen.”Blessing, and glory, ... - Substantially the same ascription of praise occurs in Revelation 5:12. See the notes on that verse. The general idea is, that the highest kind of praise is to be... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:13

And one of the elders - See the notes on Revelation 4:4. That is, as there understood, one of the representatives of the church before the throne.Answered - The word “answer,” with us, means “to reply to something which has been said.” In the Bible, however, the word is not infrequently used in the beginning of a speech, where nothing has been said - as if it were a reply to something that might be said on the subject; or to something that is passing through the mind of another; or to something... read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:1

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:4

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:5-8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:10

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:11

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:12

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 7:13

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